5AM workouts anyone?

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paggorham
paggorham Posts: 18 Member
in Motivation and Support
I love the idea of getting up at 5 and getting my workout done for the day. But when 5AM hits, EVERY excuse tries to keep me from getting out of bed... will it ever get any easier?

Tips, thoughts, ideas... Ready, GO! :smile:
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  • 1snowlady
    1snowlady Posts: 12 Member
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    I get up every weekday morning at 5 and get to the gym by 6. The thing that motivates me is that I have a workout buddy. I usually pick her up and we head off to the Y. Neither one of us wants to let the other one down (if we decide we don't want to go). We usually will allow for sickness or injury but nothing else. If one of us doesn't workout, then the other is more than likely to skip a workout too. It truly helps to have a workout buddy!

    Side note: We don't do the same workouts but we get each other to get up and get moving!

    I prefer morning workouts to evenings because I have more energy in the AM and ...it's less crowded at the gym! :)
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    It's hard to get motivated to get up in the morning. I'm supposed to be up and at the gym by 7AM each morning, but oftentimes (like today) I'll push it to the evening. Lately, the craziness of the NYR has me opting for morning sessions. Sometimes I'll bribe myself with coffee after the work out and a delicious protein bar. LOL
  • TAKCEGM
    TAKCEGM Posts: 313 Member
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    I am up at 3:30am, at the gym by 4am every morning, except weekends. Best change I ever made in my life!
  • paggorham
    paggorham Posts: 18 Member
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    Thank you! That is a great idea. I need to find me some kind of accountability partner. My workouts consist of me getting up at 5am to do Insanity in my basement/home gym. But I definitely need accountability to keep me from skipping a morning.

    Makes the day go by easier knowing your workout is done and can go home from work to do other things.

    Im also a Law Student, so mornings are really the only free time I have to do it without messing with my study schedule... its just so darn tempting to hit snooze.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I've never liked getting up early, but for a while believed that early morning workouts were a key.

    So I would get into phases when I insisted that I had to exercise early in the morning. I did all the stuff you're supposed to: lay out your workout clothes the night before, set your alarm across the room, etc. That worked great while I was motivated, and I got into a rhythm. It would last for a few weeks or months, and then an interruption would come - I had to stay up late, or travel, or whatever. So I would get off my rhythm and miss a few workouts...

    ...and stop going back, because I absolutely hated getting up so early. And since I missed my workouts in the morning, well, I went off the rest of my plan too.

    Lesson learned. It wasn't sustainable for me. I've never been a morning person, and never will be. I despise getting up any earlier than I have to, and despite what I hear about turning yourself into a morning person, I don't buy it.

    I've structured my days so that I exercise at lunchtime or in the evening, when I've got energy. That IS sustainable for me and I'm much happier.

  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
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    Yes! Early morning workouts are my favorite for so many reasons. I practice yoga daily, and early in the morning is the best time to practice for a variety of reasons. What makes it easier for me is setting out my clothes and packing my bag the night before. Not only does it serve as a visual accountability, but it also gives you more time to sleep in since you won't have to take care of all of that before you leave in the morning.

    However, I will say that if it just doesn't work for you, it just doesn't work for you. Not everyone is a get-up-as-early-as-possible-and-kill-it-and-be-on-with-your-day type of person. If you become that person after getting used to the routine, awesome. If not, awesome. Accept it, don't waste your energy on trying to make it work for you, and instead divert that energy towards something that DOES work for you.
  • StartEveryDayNew
    StartEveryDayNew Posts: 50 Member
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    I always get up and am at the gym by 530 at the latest. It is hard to get up...But I love the feeling when it's done and it is a great start to my day!!!
  • paggorham
    paggorham Posts: 18 Member
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    I will say, it definitely is a great feeling when you're done and accomplished a challenging workout.
  • WayTooHonest
    WayTooHonest Posts: 144 Member
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    God Bless those of you who can even be awake or coherent at that hour, let alone work out. I admire your tenacity.

    The only way I am at the gym at 5am is if I was up all night. >:)
  • muedra52
    muedra52 Posts: 11 Member
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    Sleep in your workout clothes.

    Have everything you need for the morning set out and ready to go. (Including setting up coffee maker, etc., whatever you need).

    And go to sleep earlier!
  • jessicastanfill
    jessicastanfill Posts: 69 Member
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    I've been getting up at 4:45, at Gym at 5:15 weekdays. BEST thing for me and I'm not a morning person. I have to go to bed by 9pm. Otherwise, I can't get up. I think this is why I've been successful - making sure I'm actually getting enough sleep. It took me about a week, but my sleep schedule shifted so now I feel just fine that early.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    The only time I train that early is in the summer...I'm not a big fan, but it's better than cycling when it's 100* out which is my alternative. I always feel great when I'm done, but I'm not much of a morning person so getting going sucks...I've never gotten used to it.
  • paggorham
    paggorham Posts: 18 Member
    edited January 2017
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    muedra52 wrote: »

    And go to sleep earlier!


    Yikes, That's a tough one.. :D

  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    5 days a week - up at 4:30, get dressed, put the coffee on, head to the gym. If you do it long enough, it becomes a habit and you will find yourself waking even before the alarm goes off!
  • ransaka
    ransaka Posts: 135 Member
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    I love my 5am workouts, gym is quieter and I feel awesome by the time I get home and it's not even 7am yet. Yeah going to bed earlier is a bore but it depends on how bad you want something I guess. I want to enjoy the 90 odd minutes I get to just lift and forget about everything else so I sacrifice later nights for it before a gym day.
    Set your workout clothes out the night before then it'll help with the mindset when the alarm goes off while it's still dark and quiet.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    Yes, I do 5:30 am CrossFit. I love getting it done first thing, feeling pumped all day, and having my evening free. When it comes down to it, you have to just get up immediately (no snooze) and go. It will become a habit, but right now you are reinforcing the habit of backing out. Set everything out the night before, cue up your coffee, and just commit. Set up accountability or a reward to help, but you just have to change the habit.

    HOWEVER, if you aren't able to sleep enough, it's not really a good trade-off and you should do something else. If I am not getting to bed before 10 consistently, I shift workouts to the evening, because being overtired basically robs me off all the good things I get from exercise.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
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    4am. If I do it late in the day, I won't sleep at night and I REALLY like sleep.
  • Doctorsookiestrikesback
    Doctorsookiestrikesback Posts: 53 Member
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    paggorham wrote: »
    I love the idea of getting up at 5 and getting my workout done for the day. But when 5AM hits, EVERY excuse tries to keep me from getting out of bed... will it ever get any easier?

    Tips, thoughts, ideas... Ready, GO! :smile:

    yes it does. I was getting up at 4 AM for a while when I did MFP before...then I lost track and and was pretty much dormant for a year and a half. I have been getting up earlier and earlier recently but have not started working out in the AM yet but I do love it. I go to work feeling refreshed and energized. Coworkers would tell me I look to happy for it being so early. LOL But it does get easier. I look forward to when I get down there in the AM, workout, have a protein shake, take a hot shower, eat breakfast, and start my day. But first I have to get to where I can go to bed at a decent hour. I am working on that one too. Good for you Paggorham!
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    It definitely got easier for me. No one keeps me accountable. Not now, not since day one. I just get up and go. Unfortunately, it's super cold every morning right now, and I complain in my head every morning about it, but my body already knows the drill, and I've yet to successfully talk myself out of a scheduled exercise.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 353 Member
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    paggorham wrote: »
    I love the idea of getting up at 5 and getting my workout done for the day. But when 5AM hits, EVERY excuse tries to keep me from getting out of bed... will it ever get any easier?

    Tips, thoughts, ideas... Ready, GO! :smile:

    I park behind my husband. That way, if I'm parked behind him and my alarm goes off at , I know I have to get up to move it or he won't be able to go to work at 7. That's my biggest motivator. I feel bad if he has to move my car just to get his truck out of the driveway to go to work. AND, his truck is too precious to sit on the street so he's always going to be in the driveway.

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